>Having lots of kids is one way. Or having an experience (space, or bottom of ocean), or a handbag

One of these is definitely not like the others though. I suppose that's subjective, but a handbag is just a handbag.

Not in this case. A birkin bag is proof that you convinced the salesperson that you de3srve one or can afford secondary market prices.

Is this some kind a humiliation fetish I'm too poor to understand?

convincing hermes that you should be allowed to buy a bag isnt exactly easy. Bragging that you did it is exactly the point of these bags, not holding shit

A handbag can be more than a handbag.

I'm not much for fashion and the appeal of Chanel and Birkin bags leaves me scratching my head. But there are some handmade bags out there that are truly works of art and sell for considerably less than the many thousands that you'd need to part with for one of those.

But since no one has ever heard of their makers, nobody cares about them.

> My conclusion is that we ALL need ongoing challenges in life.

Is existentialism really a "challenge"?

> For most people, working to pay the rent is enough of a challenge.

This seems like a bleak worldview. The average person is living for more than just surviving.

The average person (in the world, perhaps not in Atherton) most definitely has ongoing stress about paying the bills.

Just because you have stress doesn't mean the entire reason for your being is paying rent...

People are spending a huge percent of their paycheck just to give their landlord the easiest job in the city.

How about self improvement? There are lots of new skills to learn. Or how about running a charity or a humanitarian political advocacy group? Loads of people need help.

I think this is another way of saying that sating desires does not get rid of desires. The brain will simply look for more things to desire.